Coal-washing jig



Dec. 28 ,"1926. 1,612,586

' U. S. JAM ES COAL WASBING JIG Filed Oct 1.7, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 28 1926.

U. 5. JAMES.

COAL WASHING JIG Fil ed Oct. 17,

1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 (/9555 5. James Dec. 28, 1926. 1,612,586

U. 5. JAMES COAL WASHING JIG Filed Oct. 17, 1921' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 is? @[ysses 5. Q

Dec. 28 1926.

U. 5. JAMES COAL WASHING JIG Filed Oct. 17. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec, 28, 1926.

earner series.

ULYSSES S. JAMES, OF NEWARK, NEVT ASSIGNOR TO JAMES ORE CONCENTRA- TOR COMPANY, OF NEVTAEK, NEVJ JERSEY, A COPTPORATION OF NEVJ' JERSEY.

COAL-VJASI-IING JIG.

Application filed. ()ctober 17, 1821. Serial No. 568,155.

The present invention relates to improvements in jigs of the pulsator type employed for washing anthracite coal and for separating it from slate or similar refuse, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved jig of this type which is capable of effecting a highly efiicient separation of the coal from the slate or other refuse by the use of a minimum amount of water and which is capable of handling a relatively large amount of coal for a jig of given size.

The jig, according to the present invention, operates on the principle of subjecting a bed of coal and slate or other refuse to repeated momentary upward buoyant pulsations with intervening periods of quiescence, while the coal and slate are sustained in a fluid medium, usually water, whereby the particles of coal and slate become stratified in accordance with their respective specific gravities, and the coal and slate are separately discharged. lhe present invention aims particularly to provide a pulsator jig of this type with a novel and improved valve arrangement which is capable of functioning to insure the flow of an ample supply of water or fluid upwardly through the bed of coal and slate to obtain a high degree of efficiency in the separating operation and to enable a large amount of coal to be handled, and it also aims to provide a valve and valve seat of novel and improved construction which will insure correct functioning of the valves without requiring frequent attention, which will render the valves durable and which will avoid collecting of material between the valves and their seats.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a jig constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section through the jig on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 represents a transverse vertical section through the jig on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking toward the right in said figure;

Figure l is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of one of the valve casings and illustrating the construction of one of the valves its seat; and

Figure 5 represents a section through the valve and its seat, the section being taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

Pulsator jigs embodying the present invention may be used for the jigging or separating of materials of various kinds, although they are particularly adapted for use in the washing of anthracite coal and the separation of such coal from slate or other refuse contained therein. The invention in its preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter described in detail, but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to tne precise construction shown, as equivalent con ctions contemplated and these will be included within the scope of the claims.

As shown in the present instance, the comprises a vat or tank 1 adapted to hold the sustaining liquid, usually water, and of a suitable size to handle the required amount of coal. in order to obtain the desired capacity. The vat or tank 1 ay be built of wood of any suitable construction, as for example, is represented in the drawings, it providing a chamber 2 which contains the body of water used in the treatment of the coal and, as shown, it is provided with a pair of laterally and upwardly extending dewatering conveyers 3 and L which may be of any suitable construction and operate to remove the separated coal and slate respectively. The conveyors are separated by. a middle vertical partition 5 and they are bounded at their outer sides by outer walls 6 and 7 respectively, the latter walls and the intermediate partition 5 joining a cross member 8 which divides the conveyers from the chamber 2 of the tank up to a height somewhat below the water level indicated at 11 (Figs. 2 and 3) so that the water may flow or circulate throughout the apparatus and thus maintain a constant hydrostatic head. A .slush outlet 12 may be provided in the bottom of the tank and a manhole 13 may be provided in one of the vertical walls thereof to provide means of access to the interior of the tank.

The jigging of the coal is effected by the operation of the pulsator while the coal containing slate or other refuse is bedded in a cage submerged in the water contained in the tank. Preferably and as shown in the present instance, the cage 14,.which is supported on the top of the tank by a frame 15 provided with bearing brackets 16, is suspended in the tank and it has a screen-like bottom 17 which may be formed of perforated metal, the screen being supported by a suitable grid 18 formed preferably within a frame 19 which surrounds the lower end of the cage. The coal as it comes from the mine and containing the slate or other refuse to be separated therefrom is fed by a suitable chute 20 into a hopper 21 Which may be formed in one side of the cage, a vertically adjustable gate 22 being provided in the present instance for regulating the rate of feed of this coal into the cage. The end wall of the cage opposite to the feed or hopper end is provided with coal and slate discharge openings 23 and 2a respectively, the heights of the lower edges of these openings being regulated by vertically adjustable gates 25 and 26 respectively. A slate bafdo 27 is mounted within the cage and is preferably arranged diagonally or obliquely across the corner of the cage which contains the slate discharge opening 24, this slate baffle being adjustable vertically by the screws 28 so that the lower edge 27 of the baffle will occupy the proper elevation above the screen bottom 1'? to produce and maintain a slate bed S of proper depth, the stratified coal C forming the upper or superposed layer of the bed and being of a depth determined by the vertical adjustment of the coal discharge gate 25. By setting the slate baffle 27 and the slate discharge gate 26 so that the lower edge 27 of the slate baffle and the lower edge of the opening 24 in the slate discharge gate occupy the proper elevation above the bottom 17 of the cage, the discharge of the slate from the cage can be so regulated as to produce and maintain the slate bed of the required depth to produce the highest efficiency in the separation of the slate from the coal, and when this adjustment has been once made, the apparatus will function to automatically maintain the slate bed constantly at such depth, or substantially so. It will be understood that the coal discharged from the coal opening 23 is delivered to the coal elevator or conveyor 3 and that the slate discharged from the slate opening 24 will be received by the slate elevator 4:, a chute 29 being provided to bridge the space between the cage and the conveyers and to thus direct the coal and slate into the respective conveyers, as the coal and slate descend by gravity.

The pulsator provided by the present invention comprises a casing 30, the upper portion of which has the general form of a frame which fits closely around and is movable vertically in telescopic relation with the frame 19 on the lower end of the cage. The pulsator is suspended or supported by rods 31, which may, as shown, be connected to the four corners of the pulsator when the same is of rectangular form. These rods are operatively connected to a suitable mechanism for reciprocating the pulsator vertically for the purpose of creating the liquid pulsations, as hereinafter described. As shown, these rods are pivotally connected in pairs at their upper ends to pairs of hell cranks 32, the latter being fixed to shafts 33 journalled in hearings on the frame 15, the bell cranks being connected by links 3 1 which insure oscillation thereof in unison, and a crank 35 is fixed to one of the shafts 33 and is operatively connected to an eccentric 36 mounted on a main operating shaft 37, the latter being driven continuously during the operation of the apparatus by a belt pulley 38 or equivalent means. By an arrangement such as that just described, the pulsator is reciprocated bodily in a vertical direction, causing the upper portion of the pulsator to move telescopically with respect to the lower end or frame 19 of the cage. Metal wear plates 39 and 40 may be provided on the eX- terior of the frame 19 and the interior of the pulsator respectively, to provide a sufficiently close fluid lit between these parts and to withstand wear, these plates being renewable, should such become necessary.

The pulsator embodies valve means whereby a large volume of water may flow un impededly through the pulsator during the descending movements thereof and this water will be pulsated upwardly through the Quill. and slate bed in the cage during the upward movements of the pulsator, the valve means being so constructed that clownward suction through. the coal and slate bed during the descending movements of the pulsator is avoided. Preferably and as shown in the present instance, the valve means comprises a suitable number of valve casings 41 which are preferably shaped like invert-ed pyramids. For example, two of these valve casings are shown in the present instance. their bases. which are uppermost, having free communication with the water space beneath the coal and slate bed in the cage, and the apices of the pyramids, which are directed downwardly, are preferably provided with slush discharges 4-2 which are always open and are sufliciently large to discharge sediment which has a tende cy to settle at these points. The four walls of each pyramid are provided with openings Q3 of l-Ill) relatively large area which are approximately coextensive vwith the areas of these walls, and valves 44: are provided to control the flow of water through these openings. Preferably and as shown, the valve openings 43 are approximately triangular, there being one of these valve openings in each side of the pyramid comprising the lower half thereof, and a corresponding substantially triangular valve to coact with the respective valve opening, and the upper half of each side wall of each pyramid is preferably pro vided with a pair of valve openings of substantially triangular form, as shown in Figure 2, these upper valve openings having their apices directed downwardly so that these valve openings may be placed closely adjacent to the corners of the pyramid, thus utilizing, to the fullest extent, the available area to obtain an aggregate valve opening of maximum size. This feature is important as it enables a full volume of water to flow through the pulsator during the descending movements thereof, thereby preventing or reducing, to a minimum, a tendency to produce a back draft or suction downwardly through the coal and slate bed during such movements of the pulsator.

Each valve and valve opening is preferably constructed substantially as illustrated in detail in Figures 4 and 5. As there shown, each valve opening at?) is surrounded by a fiat valve seat 45 against which the valve a l, which has the form of a flap valve, is adapted to fit. The valve seat is so shaped that it will provide lap around the circumference of the valve, except at the edge of the valve opening which is directed toward or is adjacent to the pivotal point of the valve, the valve seat at this point being cut away as is indicated at 46, so that no lap is provided at this point, and hence any particles of coal, slate or other refuse which may reach this part of the valve will pass through the valve opening, and hence avoid blocking the valve off its seat. llnasmuch as any particles of coal or slate which might lodge on the valve seat would become dislodged by gravity or the action of the flowing water, it is obvious that the valve is self-cleaning. The valve is composed preferably of one or more layers of flexible ma terial 4C7, tough closely woven fabric impregnated. if necessary, with rubber or other suitable water-proofing medium being appropriate, and one end of the flexible strip is solidly clamped to the wall 41 of the casing by a bracket 48 secured in position by a bolt- 49, the flexible material bending at or near the line where it is clamped by the bracket 48, incidental to the opening and closing movements of the valve and this point of bending coincides substantially with the edge of the cut-away portion 46 of the valve seat, The body of the valve is preferably stiffened by plates '50 of metal or other :suitable material applied to the opposite sides of the flexible strip and secured firmly thereto by rivets 51 or equivalent means. The stiffening plate on the lower or outer side of the valve is smaller than the valve opening, so that the flexible strip composing the body of the valve may engage and form a fluid-tight fit with the valve seat, but the stiifeningplate on the upper or inner side of the valve is preferably coextensive with the valve or the flexible strip 47 thereof, thus giving the peripheral edge of the strip 47 sufficient rigidity to insure a proper iit thereof upon the valve seat and to afford the requisite strength. Both of the stiffening plates terminate short of the pivotal point of the valve, thus leaving a sufiioient length of the flexible strip uncovered to afford the necessary amount of flexibility. A limit stop 52 is provided against which the valve may swing in opening, this stop serving to prevent undue opening of the valve as is indicated in Figure 5. This limit stop may advantageously be formed as an extension or part of the bracket i8.

The operation of the construction substantially as hereinbefore described, is as follows:-The coal, as it comes from the mine and containing slate or other refuse to be separated therefrom, is fed by the chute 20 into the hopper 21 and this coal thence passes under control of the feed gate 20 into the'respective adjacent end of the ca e 14, it being presumed that the tank has been filled with water to substantially the levelin dicated at 11 in Figures 2 and 3. During the operation of the jig, the shaft 37 is driven continuously and the bell cranks 82 will be thus caused to rock, in consequence of which the pulsator 30 will be reciprocated vertically at regular intervals and with strokes, the length of which may be adjusted to suit the character of the coal being handled, the jig herein shown being particular-- ly suitable for the cleaning of anthracite coal of barley and rice sizes. As the coal advances by the action of gravity from the receiving end toward the coal and slate discharge end of the cage, a bed of coal and slate will be formed and this bed of coal and slate, during each upward movement of the pulsator, will be subjected to a momentary upward buoyant pulsation of water which loosens the bed and frees the particles, and during each following downward or return stroke of the pulsator, the water in which the particles are suspended will be quiescent, as the result of which the particles will be free to rearrange themselves and to stratify in accordance with their respective specific gravities, the relatively heavier particles of slate gravitating to the bottom of the bed and-forming a slate stratum, substantially as shown in Figure 2, and the relatively lighter particles of coal becoming superposed. above the slate and forming an upper stratum on the top of the bed, as shown in Figure 2. This separating action continues during the operation of the jig, and due to the feeding of fresh coal into the bed from the hopper 21, the coal and slate will be gradually pushed toward the coal and slate discharge openings 23 and 24. The slate must pass beneath the lower edge 27 of the slate baffle 27 before reach ing the slate discharge opening 24 and by this arrangement and the adjustment of the slate discharge 24, the height or depth of the slate stratum is controlled. When the slate discharge opening 24 and the baffle 27 have been once adjusted to regulate the depth of the slate stratum, this depth will be main tained substantially constantly by the jig, without requiring further adjustment. By s0 constructing the jig that the water always occupies the same level both inside and outside of the cage, a constant hydrostatic head is maintained, and hence the automatic dis charge of the coal and slate will be regulated in accordance with the different specific gravities thereof.

I claim as my invention 2- 1. In a of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a chamber having an open bottom to support a bed of material to be separated, means for feeding such material to one end of said chamber, said chamber being provided with laterally-spaced discharge openinns in its opposite end wall for the respective separated constituents of such material, a battle located diagonally within the chamber opposite to one of said discharge openings and spaced above the bottom of the chamber for the discharge of a relatively heavy constituent beneath it to said opening, the baffle extending toward another of said openings for directing a relatively lighter constituent thereto, and means for producing intermittent pulsations of water upwardly through the chamber with intervening periods of quiescence.

2. A jig of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage to contain a bed of material to be separated, the cage having, in one of its end walls laterally-spaced discharge openings for the respective separated constituents of such material, conveyors arranged side-by-side and having their ends located to receive respectively the constituents discharged from. said laterally spaced discharge openings, and means for producing intermittent pulsations of water upwardly through the bed of material in the cage with intervening periods of quiescence.

3. A of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage to contain a bed of material to be separated, and a pulsator reciprocable vertically in telescopic relation with and surrounding the outer edge of the cage and having a bottom formed of downwardly-converging walls having openings therein, and flap valves controlling such openings.

l. A of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage to contain a bed of material to be separated, and a pulsator reciprocable vertically in telescopic relation with the cage and having a bottom formed of downwardlyconverging walls having openings therein, and flap valves pivoted at their lower ends to the inner sides of said walls below said openings and controlling such openings.

5. A jig of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage to contain a bed of material to be separated, and a pulsator reciprocable vertically in telescopic relation with the cage and having a bottom formed of a pyramidshaped casing having substantially-triangular openings therein the apices of which are directed downwardly, and substantiallytriangular valves controlling such openings.

A jig of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage to contain a bed of material to be separated, and a pulsator reeiprocable vertically in telescopic relation with the cage and having a bottom formed of a pyramidshaped casing having substantially-triangular openings therein the apices of which are directed downwardly, and substantiallytriangular valves controlling such openings and pivoted at their lower ends to the inner sides of the walls of said casing.

7. A jig of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage to contain a bed of material to be separated, and a pulsator below the cage and fitting telescopically around the exterior of the cage, the pulsator being reciprocable vertically relatively to the cage and arranged to receive the sediment from the cage and to discharge the sediment so received.

8. A. jig of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage in said tank having a screen to support a bed of material to be separated, and a pulsator reciprocable vertically relatively to the cage and having a sediment outlet in its bottom, the pulsator being arranged beneath the screen of the cage to receive the sediment therefrom and the pulsator being fitted telescopically around the exterior lower edge of the cage and outwardly beyond the margin of the screen therein.

9. A jig of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage within the tank to contain a bed of material to be separated, and a pulsator located below and reciprocable vertically relatively to the cage, the pulsator having steeply sloping walls provided with ports and valves pivoted at their lower edges to said walls and operative to control the respective ports.

10. A jig oi the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage to contain a bed of materialto be separated, and a pulsator located below and reciprocable vertically with respect to the cage, the pnlsator having steeply sloping downwardly converging bottom walls provided with ports and flap valves pivoted to said walls at their inner sides and below the respective ports therein, said valves occupying steeply inclined positions when closed and swinging inwardly toward a Vertical position in opening.

11. A jig of the class described comprising, in combination, a tank to contain a body of water, a cage to contain a bed of material to be separated, and a pulsator located beneath and reciprocable vertically with respect to the cage, the pulsator having fluid ports in its bottom the tops of which are of larger area than their bottoms, and valves pivoted at their lower ends to the bottom of the pulsator and operative to open and close the ports therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ULYSSES S. JAMES. 

